If you have been charged and summonsed to court, or have been given a promise to
appear, you will have a court date in courtroom letter 'A'. This is not a trial date. At this stage, the initial disclosure (the evidence that the Crown Attorney intends to rely on),should be provided and the Court will confirm whether or not you have a lawyer or will be seeking one. The case will be adjourned from there to provide an opportunity to retain counsel and review the disclosure.

What is an Overnight Arrest?

Overnight arrests are situations where someone is arrested and held by the police
until they are brought to Court. In these cases, the Crown Attorney
takes a position regarding the person's release from custody. If the
Crown does not consent to release, it is possible to have a bail
hearing at a later date (see below). If the Crown consents to
release, they may request a cash deposit, or a surety who is able to
supervise the accused.

What is a Bail Hearing?

In some cases, the Crown Attorney is simply opposed to releasing
someone from custody. It is then possible to schedule a bail hearing.
It is of assistance at a bail hearing if the accused has a stable
residence to go to, a surety (essentially a responsible person) to
ensure their compliance with bail conditions, and/or cash money to
deposit with the court.